2024 was a busy year.  The house had been sitting vacant for over two years and hadn't seen much maintenance in many more.  The landscape was overgrown, a dead tree had fallen, barely missing the garage, while another was threatening the house.  The property was littered with trash.  we hired a crew to clear the landscape and cut down problematic trees.  We hauled off many loads of junk and debris, replaced carpets and repainted the interior. One look into the crawlspace told us it was time to replace a labyrinth of sheet metal ducts with a new zoned heat pump HVAC system, then rat proof the crawlspace as best possible.  The deck structure needed repair and a new hot tub was in order.  A shower was added, the range hood replaced, all light fixtures switched out, new curtains hung. To keep costs down we scoured Facebook marketplace and were buy most items used at half the cost or less.   Once the house started to feel livable again, we cleared and organized both garages, setting up lights, shelves and a small art studio.  By the end of the year we finally could feel at home, spend time relaxing or cooking elaborate meals.​